"The
stars chew the scenery and the supporting cast
give limited performances."

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

This is the fourth version of The Bat--1915
(silent), 1926 (silent) and as The Bat Whispers in a
1930 (talkie). None of the versions are anything to
write home about, but at least this one is coherent
and somewhat entertaining. The B-film haunted house
mystery is based on the gothic play by Avery Hopwood
and Mary Roberts Rinehart. Co-stars Vincent Price and
Agnes Moorehead were old friends from their days
together in Orson Welles' Mercury Theater. Also
appearing as a murder vic is Darla Hood, former Our
Gang star, now a grown-up. It's directed and scripted
by a former silent actor Crane Wilbur, who fails to
sustain an eerie mood and provide humor for the absurd
narrative.

Famous mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder has rented
for the summer a country house called "The Oaks",
owned by banker John Fleming (Harvey Stephens) and
rented to Corny without his knowledge by his
real-estate broker son Mark (John Bryant). The mansion
recently had been the scene of some grizzly murders
committed by a criminal called "The Bat," known by
that nickname because of his strange behavior. This
scares away all the servants brought from the city but
for the loyal maid Lizzie Allen (Lenita Lane). On a
recreational vacation in the woods John Fleming tells
his best pal Dr. Malcolm Wells (Vincent Price) that he
has embezzled one million dollars in securities and
has hidden the bonds in a secret closet in the family
house, and will split that with him if he helps fake
his death. The good doctor reacts by killing John with
a rifle shot and blaming it on a forest fire. Wells
returns to the house to try and find the secret room
with the vault, but is interfered with by the lady
guests and the film's other villain. A murder takes
place and the sighting of a bat brings more scares to
the ladies. The local police chief, Lt. Anderson
(Gavin Gordon), is only too eager to help in making
sure the occupants are safe and posts men as guards
outside the house. Later a butler named Warner (John
Sutton) is hired, but the police chief is suspicious
of him because he was just exonerated from an
out-of-town crime. Dale Bailey (Elaine Edwards) is the
wife of the jailed bank VP (Mike Steele) who was
suspected as the embezzler. She stays at the mansion
along with bank cashier Judy Hollender (Darla Hood) to
see if they can locate the secret room. Judy has proof
that the VP is innocent and is prepared to give
evidence during the trial.

It's heavy on plot and story twists, and light on
characterizations or any deep meanings or of the
acting being up to snuff (the stars chew the scenery
and the supporting cast give limited performances). It
keeps one's interest, but does little else to be much
more than a pale imitation of a typical Charlie Chan
whodunit.